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Mutualism between Macaranga plants & ants in Southeast Asia

Research Project

Project/Area Number 10041163
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B).

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section海外学術
Research Field 生態
Research InstitutionNAGOYA UNIVERSITY

Principal Investigator

ITIOKA Takao  Nagoya University, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Research Associate, 大学院・生命農学研究科, 助手 (40252283)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) TAHARA Satoshi  Hokkaido University, Graduate School of Agriculture, Professor, 大学院・農学研究科, 教授 (50001475)
OHGUSHI Takayuki  Kyoto University, Center for Ecological Research, Professor, 生態学研究センター, 教授 (10203746)
STUART James  マレーシア大学サラワク校, 生物多様性環境保護研究所, 准教授
SARKAWI Moha  サラワク林野庁, 主任研究員
Project Period (FY) 1998 – 2000
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2000)
Budget Amount *help
¥10,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥10,300,000)
Fiscal Year 2000: ¥3,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,100,000)
Fiscal Year 1999: ¥3,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,100,000)
Fiscal Year 1998: ¥4,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,100,000)
KeywordsMacaranga / Crematogaster / anti-herbivore defenses / ant defense / mutualism / Southeast Asian tropics / myrmecophyte / オオバキ / オオバギ属 / シリアゲアリ属 / オオバキ属 / 食植性昆虫 / 昆虫・植物相互作用
Research Abstract

In the plant genus, Macaranga, which has the distribution center with diversified species in Southeast Asian tropics, many myrmecophytic species are known. They have symbiosis with their respectively specific ant-plant species and depend on them for anti-herbivore defense. Macaranga myrmecophytes provide their symbiont plant-ants with food, in turn, the ants protect the plants from herbivores and competitor plants.
In this study, first, we determined the interspecific variation in intensity of ant defenses among Macaranga myrmecophyte species by ant-exclusion experiments and measurements of ant aggressiveness. Second, we determined the interspecific variation in intensity of non-ant, i.e. physical and chemical, defenses by bioassays using polyphagous lepidopterans. Comparing intensities of ant and non-ant defenses among Macaranga species, it was shown that the intensities inversely correlated, and that the balance between ant and non-ant defenses differ among Macaranga species. The meas … More urement of food body production and chemical analysis revealed that interspecific variation in ant defense intensity are affected by the production and nitrogen contents of food bodies. The balance between ant and non-ant defenses change along with aging. The bioassay using polyphagous lepidopteran suggested that the balance is biased for non-ant defenses before ant colonization but biased for ant defenses after ant colonize the plant.
Partnership between Macaranga myrmecophytes and Crematogaster plant-ants are highly species-specific. Field survey and manipulative experiments showed that nest-plant selection by dispersing foundress queens of plant-ant and matching between demand and supply for resource at both sides of plant and ant take important roles in generating and maintaining the high species-specificity in the partnership. Our chemical analysis and bioassays with extract of plant surface revealed that non-volatile carbon-hydrates are used by foundress ant queens for recognition of Macaranga plant species. Experimental exchange of plant-ant species showed that 'unmatched' species combination cause either inhibition of ant colony growth due to deficiency of food or relatively weak ant aggressiveness, both of which result in corruption of mutualistic relations.
Relatively long-term demographic study on Macaranga myrmecophytes have shown that interspecific variation in anti-herbivore defenses, which are reflected in the variation in the balance between ant and non-ant defenses, affect the diversity in the herbivore community on or around Macaranga myrmecophytism. Less

Report

(4 results)
  • 2000 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report Summary
  • 1999 Annual Research Report
  • 1998 Annual Research Report
  • Research Products

    (18 results)

All Other

All Publications (18 results)

  • [Publications] Itioka,T,Nomura,M,Inui,Y,Itino,T,Inoue,T: "Difference in intensity of ant defense among three species of Macaranga myrmecophyte in a Southeast Asian dipterocarp forest"Biotropica. 32・(2). 318-326 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2000 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Nomura,M,Itioka,T,Itino,T: "Difference in intensity of chemical defense within myrmecophytic and non-myrmecophytic sympatric species of Macaranga in a South East Asian dipterocarp forest"Ecological Research. 15・(1). 1-11 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2000 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 市野隆雄,市岡孝朗: "熱帯雨林のアリとアリ植物-相利共生と共進化[1]数百万年にわたる共進化"インセクタリウム. 36・6. 172-179 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2000 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 市岡孝朗,市野隆雄: "熱帯雨林のアリとアリ植物-相利共生と共進化[2]アリとマカランガの利害関係"インセクタリウム. 36・7. 188-194 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2000 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 市岡孝朗,市野隆雄: "オオバギの対植食者防衛戦略 アリ防衛と化学防衛の組合せ"昆虫と自然. 34・12. 15-18 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2000 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Itioka, T., Nomura, M., Inui, Y., Itino, T.and Inoue, T.: "Difference in intensity of ant defense among three species of Macaranga myrmecophyte in a Southeast Asian dipterocarp forest"Biotropica. 36-2. 318-326 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2000 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Nomura, M., Itioka, T.and Itino, T.: "Difference in intensity of chemical defense within myrmecophytic and non-myrmecophytic sympatric species of Macaranga in a South East Asian dipterocarp forest."Ecological Research. 15-1. 1-11 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2000 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Itino, T.and Itioka, T.: "Ants and myrmecophytes in tropical rain forests-Mutualism and coevolution 1. Millions of years' coevolution"Insectarium. 36-6. 172-179 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2000 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Itioka, T.and Itino, T.: "Ants and myrmecophytes in tropical rain forests-Mutualism and coevolution 2. Cost-and-benefit of anti-herbivore defense for Macaranga and their plantants"Insectarium. 36-7. 188-194 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2000 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Itioka, T.and Itino, T.: "Anti-herbivore defense strategy for myrmecophtic Macaranga plants : the combination of ant defenses and non-ant defenses"The Nature & Insects. 34-12. 15-18 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2000 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Itioka,T.,Nomura,M.,Inui,Y.,Itino,T.,Inoue,T.: "Difference in intensity of ant defense among three species of Macaranga myrmecophyte in a Southeast Asian dipterocarp forest"Biotropica. 32・2. 318-326 (2000)

    • Related Report
      2000 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Nomura,M.,Itioka,T.,Itino,T.: "Difference in intensity of chemical defense within myrmecophytic and non-myrmecophytic sympatric species of Macaranga in a South East Asian dipterocarp forest"Ecological Research. 15・1. 1-11 (2000)

    • Related Report
      2000 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Itioka,T.,Nomura,M.,Inui,Y.,Itino,T.Inoue,T.: "Difference in intensity of ant defense among three species of Macaranga myrmecophyte in a Southeast Asian dipterocarp forest."Biotropica. 32. 印刷中 (2000)

    • Related Report
      1999 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Nomura,M.,Itioka,T.and Itino,T.: "Difference in intensity of chemical defense within mymecophytic and non-myrmecophytic sympatric species of Macaranga in a South East Asian dipterocarp forest."Ecological Research. 15. 印刷中 (2000)

    • Related Report
      1999 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 市野隆雄,市岡孝朗: "熱帯雨林のアリとアリ植物・相利共生と共進化〔1〕数百万年にわたる共進化"インセクタリウム. 36. 172-179 (1999)

    • Related Report
      1999 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 市野隆雄,市岡孝朗: "熱帯雨林のアリとアリ植物・相利共生と共進化〔2〕アリとマカランガの利害関係"インセクタリウム. 36. 188-194 (1999)

    • Related Report
      1999 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 市野隆雄,市岡孝朗: "オオバギの植食者防衛戦略・アリ防衛と化学防衛の組合せ"昆虫と自然. 34・12. 15-18 (1999)

    • Related Report
      1999 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Itioka,T.,Nomura,M.Inui,Y.,Itino,T.& Inoue,T.: "Difference in intensity of ant defense among three species of Macaranga myrmecophyte in a Southeast Asia dipterocarp forest." Biotropica. (印刷中).

    • Related Report
      1998 Annual Research Report

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Published: 1998-04-01   Modified: 2016-04-21  

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